Today was the first day of the GOP convention, and it was a complete catastrophe. After chaos broke out on the floor this afternoon, the insanity continued into the night. There were lies, debunked myths and sheer confusion as they each tried to put together the case as to why Donald Trump should be President of the United States– all the while alienating voters and showing how out of touch he is with the American people.
We weren’t the only ones who noticed. Look at how many in the media described the night:
Sahil Kapur @sahilkapur: So far, this #GOPconvention
Rick Wilson @TheRickWilson: Can we just admit this convention is off the rails? [7/18/16 11:01 p.m. EDT]
Josh Rogin [email protected] It’s official. Zero actual national security policy ideas offered at “national security night” of the convention. #facepalm [7/18/16 10:24 p.m. EDT]
Ed O’Keefe @edatpost: Trump’s minority outreach program launches next week. You think Hispanics & Asians will forget tonight’s references to “illegals?” [7/18/2016 9:10 p.m. EDT]
Joan Walsh @joanwalsh: Folks what the hell is going on here? Even @realDonaldTrump is bored; he’s phoning into Fox. [7/18/2016 8:51 p.m. EDT]
Chris Cillizza [email protected] : HE IS ENTERING THROUGH A FOG MACHNE [7/18/16 10:22 p.m. EDT]
Stuart Rothenberg [email protected] : Who is this guy? [7/18/16 10:22 p.m. EDT]
Michael Grunwald @MikeGrunwald: After Donald’s intro and Melania’s speech, I wonder if they’ve ever met. [7/18/16 10:38 p.m. EDT]
Eric Bradner @ericbradner: I … I don’t … wow [7/18/16 10:22 p.m. EDT]
Retweeted Bradd Jaffy
Bradd Jaffy [email protected] : TRUMP ENTERS THE RNC [7/18/16 10:22 p.m. EDT]
Gideon Resnick [email protected] : He flew from New York for that [7/18/16 10:23 p.m. EDT]
Trip Gabriel @tripgabriel: I’m in a bar full of GOP convention goers: laughter, applause when Trump emerges in silhouette. ‘So embarrassing,’ a man says [7/18/16 at 10:23 p.m. EDT]
Jon Ralston @RalstonReports: Trump to Manafort backstage: “I knew I should have picked Rudy.” [7/18/16 at 10:16 p.m. EDT]
Jonathan Alter @jonathanalter: I covered Giuliani very favorably after 9/11 but I doubt his claim just now that Trump made anonymous gifts.He has zero history of doing so. [7/18/16 10:11 p.m. EDT]
Jon Lovett @jonlovett: Has a single person mentioned one actual specific thing that Donald Trump would, you know, DO, as president? [7/18/2016 9:42 p.m. EDT]
Jennifer Rubin @JRubinBlogger: Trump is such an egomaniac he interrupts his own convention to get on TV — and interrupts the mother of Benghazi victim. Oy. [7/18/2016 9:42 p.m. EDT]
Joy Reid @joyannreid: The 12 Rudy Giuliani words that could seal Trump’s doom with black voters: “what I did for New York, Donald Trump will do for America! [7/18/2016 10:09 p.m. EDT]
Benjy Sarlin @BenjySarlin: When I covered immigration in 2013, no one would have believed Sessions would be A) primetime speaker B) to the left of the nominee on issue [7/18/2016 10:04 p.m. EDT]
Adam Wollner @AdamWollner: Tom Cotton made one reference to the “Trump-Pence administration.” Otherwise avoiding talking about GOP nominee. [7/18/2016 9:53 p.m. EDT]
Ben Smith [email protected] This convention is almost entirely about race. [7/18/16 10:08 p.m. EDT]
Dana Rubinstein [email protected] : Rudy’s depiction of Trump as a publicity-averse do-gooder is at odds with basically all reported accounts of his actual personality [7/18/16 10:12 p.m. EDT]
Glenn Thrush [email protected] : Rudy is yell-ier than he used to be and he used to be pretty shouty. [7/18/16 10:14 p.m. EDT]
Ezra Klein [email protected] : Giuliani says “There’s no next election. This is it!” Whoa, if true. [7/18/16 10:19 PM ET]
Chris Cillizza @TheFix: So does Michael Flynn like “USA” chants or no? [7/18/16 10:49 p.m. EDT]
Jay Newton-Small @JNSmall: Twitter and the #rncincle crowd are not loving Gen. Flynn’s speech. Lots of conversations in the room, Flynn is trying to yell over them [7/18/16 10:55 p.m. EDT]
Stuart Rothenberg @StuPolitics: “Goes on and on and on.” Like this speech. [7/18/16 10:56 p.m. EDT]
Karen Tumulty @ktumulty: Is there a four-star in the audience who can tell Flynn to wrap this up? [7/18/16 10:56 p.m. EDT]
Jonathan Martin @jmartNYT: Delegates streaming out or engaging in conversation as VP floatee/book-seller Lt. Gen Flynn speaks. Many empty seats on floor now. [7/18/2016 10:57 p.m. EDT]
Philip Gourevitch @PGourevitch: Michael Flynn snags the Strawgelove award for night, telling emptying RNC hall: “War is not about bathrooms.” [7/18/2016 10:54 p.m. EDT]
Alex Burns @alexburnsNYT: If you want a picture of the future, imagine Mike Flynn … slowly saying U-S-A in a dull monotone … forever [7/18/2016 10:53 p.m. EDT]
Daniel Dale @ddale8 So, on security night, Scott Baio got a prime time spot and Iraq vet Sen. Joni Ernst and SEAL vet Rep. Ryan Zinke got bumped to late-night. [7/18/16 11:11 p.m. ET]
Maggie Haberman @maggieNYT: Joni Ernst is speaking to an almost empty hall.” [7/18/2016 11:08 p.m. EDT]
Paul Waldman @paulwaldman1 Why is Ernst smiling doesn’t she know the theme of the evening is “WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!”? [7/18/16 11:10 p.m. EDT]
Ali Rogin @AliABCNews How mad do you think Ernst is that Flynn just filibustered her out of network coverage [7/18/16 11:06 p.m. EDT]
Glenn Thrush @GlennThrush The Duck Dynasty guy gets prime time — @joniernst gets the 11 p.m. slot. Malpractice. [7/18/16 11:12 p.m. EDT]
Ginger Gibson @GingerGibson There is a section of the arena that now has no humans sitting in it. And the next over has two guys standing in it. pic.twitter.com/yDfe98gqqV [7/18/16 11:22 p.m. EDT]